Sunday, July 29, 2007

When you dine there in the summer, you have your choice of a table in the spacious dining room or on the delightful outdoor patio. We sat indoors in a booth that felt private and intimate, yet afforded a view of the whole dining area (including the patio, if we lifted the curtains to take a peek outside). The house-made sangria was served with fresh fruit juice (was it pomegranate and blueberry?) on top and white wine on the bottom - stirred together, it made for a refreshing way to start the meal - not too sweet, not too tart.

The menu is divided into categories: 1, 2 and 3. It's not entirely clear what the distinctions are, but our server suggested that each of us order one dish from each category. We did our own thing and ordered two from 2 and two from 3.

The food was interesting and delicious. The amuse bouche was a beautifully presented almond-shaped mound of tuna tartare with a rice-paper rol;. We samples a tender five-spiced squab, a delightful pairing of scallops and sweetbreads, seared lamb tenderloin and a pecan crusted halibut. The sauces and sides accompanying each dish elevated them to the memorable meal category (I admit, I didn't have my notepad with me or else I would have provided more details...I'll never forget it again!). A crisp riesling kabinet tied everything together. We savored every bite and left feeling pleasantly full (we had room for dessert but with no chocolate choice on the menu - white chocolate doesn't count - we decided to forgo).

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Arriving from Seattle, we were very concerned about finding good coffee. We didn't invest in a high-end espresso machine for over-roasted Starbucks beans. Never fear - Dark City Coffee Company is here - and the best news of all is that they deliver fresh-roasted beans within 24 hours after placing an order by phone! What a way to start the day.http://www.darkcitycoffee.com/

Monday, July 16, 2007

Having just moved into the neighborhood, with all of our belongings strewn about the house, the last thing we wanted to do was cook! Summerhill offers a dizzying array of take-out and dining-out options within walking distance, two of which are highlighted below. I can definitely get used to living in this city!